Also saw May'n at Namba Hatch, Osaka, stayed two nights in Tatsumikan Onsen, Kamimoku, Gunma and visited the Joetsu glass factory nearby, did a quick trip to Niigata, and attended a live show presented by Mishio Suzuki.

Last trip was in late March. Missed hanami by a week, but Shinjuku Gyoen had early blooming varieties and Ueno park had plenty of people out enjoying the early blooms. Toshogu Shrine and Benten-do really cashing in with tons of food stalls.

Last trip was in late March.
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And the following Sunday I went to AnimeJapan 2017;
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I want to do Comiket 93 (winter), but not 100% sure, especially traveling after the new year and how busy that's going to be.

It would have been good to have gone to M3 (doujin CD fair) yesterday, 30th April 2017, but at least I have now booked another trip for June to catch Chiaki Ishikawa in concert again and whatever else I can find on around then.

For August 2017 I have a ticket to see Nana Mizuki starring in Beautiful - The Carole King Musical, another Chiaki Ishikawa live, and Animelo Summer Live 2017.

Quick question, do you ever go to the Anime Festival Asia events? It was originally an anime festival based in Singapore, but seems to have morphed into a touring anisong festival across South East Asia.

[..]
Quick question, do you ever go to the Anime Festival Asia events? It was originally an anime festival based in Singapore, but seems to have morphed into a touring anisong festival across South East Asia.

I'm on their email contact list but haven't been to anything. Sometimes I get reports from friends who live in those countries. The audiences sound like they are rowdier than Japanese audiences, and the ticketing systems aren't quite as fair as the Japanese ticketing.

Another promoter of live music of anime is ED Productions in Hong Kong, and some Japanese acts also visit events in China.

If I knew how big my tax return would be I might have tried for a Minori Chihara Summer Dream concert at Kawaguchiko Stellar Theater (the back of the stage can open up revealing Mount Fuji in the background) and also the Persona Live concert.

Watched NHK World's J-Melo with MayJ last Monday for interviews with Garnidelia and Kalafina and found myself mentioned in connection with the anime the anime The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya which lead to MayJ crossing to Minori Chihara.

Fast forward to last Friday and Animelo Summer Live 2017 opened with Minori Chihara, Aya Hirano and Yuko Goto singing and dancing Hare Hare Yukai, then later Minori Chihara singing Yuki, Muon, Madobe, Nite, the Yuki Nagato character song.

So there will be a third season of the Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya.

Last edited by u523 on Sun May 20, 2018 11:11 pm; edited 1 time in total

I don't know if anyone is aware, but the so called "Minpaku Law" goes into effect from mid June. Essentially the law was meant to make it a lot easier to list AirBnB apartments, however it's just made things worse. Owners have to jump through a series hoops; approval from the government, complying with some absurd local regulations depending on the ward and then getting permission from the body corporate.

The vast majority of AirBnB listings have been taken down. My booking for late July/early August was cancelled as the owner hadn't got the paper work in time. I have a couple of other options up my sleeve. Don't want to use hostels or business hotels, mainly due to the sub standard air-con (I just can't sleep if they're constantly running it at 24°C like the did in the ones I stayed at in Kyushu!). I'm banking on a real estate agent run serviced apartment who I previously contacted before I knew about the Minpaku Law. They asked me to contact them again in early July. Gonna cost me an additional $1000, maybe.

The other option is to cancel the trip and I'll go to AFA Singapore in December instead, then do Wonfes and Comiket 96 in summer 2019 when the AirBnB stuff has settled down. This sucks and is really dumb. The Olympics are coming up and they are already short in terms of hotel rooms for that event. I understand that the locals don't like the tourists, but this isn't helping anyone and it's pretty shortsighted I think. Add in the fact there is a glut of empty houses in the Japanese market which estate agents can't fill.

Managed to get an apartment in Kamata which is way out in Ota ward. Unsurprisingly it's a lot cheaper than the one I had canceled in Kanda. It's on the JR Keihin-Tohoku line, which goes through Yokohama, Shinagawa, Tokyo, Akihabara and Ueno, so it's pretty convenient. Only an additional transfer and in most cases only adds maybe 15 mins on to all the stations I need to go to. There are still quite a few AirBnB listings out there which surprised me.

This time I'm going to Wonder Festival Summer 2018 and Comic Market 94, plus as many local festivals and fireworks as I can pack in. Not 100% sure if I'm really ready for the heat, humidity and Comiket... There's a cluster of anime shops just around the corner from my apartment, so I'm hoping the local Gamers will have the Comiket Catalogue and the Wonfes ticket/catalogue in stock so I won't have to go to Akihabara.

Yoko Kanno was a no-show due to illness, but we did get a See-Saw reunion and Firebomber.

Also good to visit Yubari and Mombetsu in the height of winter, and see and meet again Shinji Kakijima in Bell's Shin-Yokohama and Lisa Komine at Mandala Tokyo and see for the first time Platina Jazz at Billboard Tokyo.